How To Correctly Remove Video Card Drivers

[Silentsnake]

How To Correctly Remove Video Card Drivers.

This can solve many problems to do with Games or 3d software This isn�t always the solution, but its certainly the first step to take in finding the solution. Also, I thought it would be useful to have a general guide on how to do it properly.

In order for new video card drivers to work correctly, you must first make sure that all old drivers for the video card are removed, as the old ones can conflict with the new ones, giving various errors when trying to run games ect.

Firstly, Download the latest drivers for your card to your desktop

then remove old drivers by navigating to device manager, and select display adapters, double click on your graphics card, select the driver tab, and select uninstall for your video card driver.

Download and install driver cleaner pro Here

Or​

Downlo and install Guru 3d - Driver sweeper which works with vista and is more up to date download from Here

Once installed, reboot your computer and start in safe mode (spamming F8 upon bootup) ,

run driver cleaner and select �Nvidia� from the drop down list to be cleaned.

OR​

run Driver sweeper and select �Nvidia�- display drivers from the box on the left to be cleaned

This will remove all remaining parts of the old driver. It should be run in safe mode as this has the best results.

Once cleaned, restart the computer. and Install the new driver.

If anyone thinks I have missed anything, and would like to add something, please do

Hope this helps :wavey:

 

[CERO]

The "best" way is just format your pc, but I ques u dont want to do that everytime, therefor, I would use windows remove software then u reboot, after reboot install DriveCleaner, this should clean some remaining registry files, altho this is not 100%, there are tons of guides ( google is your friend), how u could clean your registry, but I woundnt bother that much, just remove and drivercleaner and you are set

 

[mrapoc]

I always used to uninstall

reboot into safe

driver cleaner or w/e

reboot

install

but nowadays the drivers seem to be able to update themselves without too much bother

reps all the same

 

[oevreys]

lol....I dont really use that many steps, all i need is a screw driver

 

[Lynx]

how does a screwdriver help you install drivers :|

 

[Rastalovich]

Not only that, the quoted method here for removing drivers, particularly nvidia ones, leaves stuff behind.

I haven't seen a tool to this date that removes everything.

 

[sammytomjohn]

like cero said clean install of windows works everytime!!

 

[FarFarAway]

Pretty much got this covered in my guide

http://forum.overclock3d.net/showthread.php?t=3413

 

[rapidman17]

hmm.. i still tend to go with fresh install if its a serious driver update, otherwise it becomes a hassle having to clear up conflicting drivers

 

[Rastalovich]

Pretty much got this covered in my guide

http://forum.overclock3d.net/showthread.php?t=3413

hmm.. i still tend to go with fresh install if its a serious driver update, otherwise it becomes a hassle having to clear up conflicting drivers

As far as the nvidia drivers are concerned, on top of uninstalling them, u need to goto the system & wow folders and delete 6 or so files starting with nv, and be sure to delete the folder the drivers unpacked themselves to, usually nvidia in the root.

The first step prevents files remaining when u reinstall drivers, the 2nd prevents windows from re-installing them itself often from oem info it holds onto when detecting the card after reboot.

To check the install u have put in is all present and correct, simply open the controlpanel->nvidia, and click on the link in the bottom left "system information", click on the component tab and it'll list all the files the drivers are using. If u, for example, have just installed 182.50, they'll all be x.xx.x1.8250 - with the exception of the physx and control panel ones at the bottom. (and possibly the utility ones if u installed that for oc'ing)

If all those look correct, the drivers went in as they should.

Often, without a correct removal that the cleaners don't always do, u can end up with some components being x.xx.x1.7650 (if u had 176.50 in previously) or similar - which can cause issues.

 

[rapidman17]

Yh, its not that i dont know what to, more that i am very anal when it comes to software and driver installations... think i got it off my dad who use to spend ages troubleshooting driver problems for customers back in the prehistoric ages

 

[mrapoc]

on a side note

is drivercleaner still the best?

i mean, you have to pay for it now dontcha? is there an equally good free one?

 

[k4p84]

i've always used ccleaner to uninstall Nvidia drivers, then run the reg cleaner.

i have not had Nvidia issues since moving to GTX 280's